Dead Days
by foregoingscenery
Summary: Marinette's found diary telling the events of the end of the world as we know it. Warning: cannibalism mentions, violence, character death, zombies. It's not graphic due to the diary nature but this warning is to prevent upsetting readers. Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.
1. Day One

Day One

It had been an average day at school, there was laughter and chatter to be heard in every corner and constant lessons to be learned. The sun was shining and everyone was fine. We were expecting vast piles of homework to be set upon us and maybe a surprise akuma attack but… That didn't happen.

What did happen was something none of us were prepared for.

Not only two hours into the school day had I heard the screams of citizens. Of course, I jumped into action immediately, excusing myself from class and becoming Ladybug.

I thought it was an akuma attack. Something that could be resolved quickly. But what it actually was… Was horrific. A sight never to be seen by innocent eyes.

Once I had seen the mounds of people with soulless eyes attempting to eat others, I knew this wasn't Hawkmoth's doing. There were just too many of them to be caused by Hawkmoth; this wasn't within his power limit. Sure, he's cruel, but not that cruel. That's something I knew immediately.

I consulted with Tikki whether she had seen anything of the sort before. She had not.

It wasn't long before Chat Noir in all his elegance showed up, his lips a hard line. I had only ever seen that expression once before and that was when we were up against an enemy who couldn't be defeated, well at least not for three days. I reported to him what I could only assume to be. He agreed with my theory.

We quickly devised a plan to evacuate the students and get as many people as we could to safe areas. Little did we know that there were so few of them remaining.

Within an hour of moving the students, we had lost a member of the class. No amount of words of encouragement could get her to continue going, no matter how scary the situation was. Although, she did buy us time when we had little to spare, I thank her for her sacrifice.

Thankfully, Chat Noir remembered how big the Agreste family home was from our previous visit when fighting Bubbler and – more importantly - how it had walls and gates. We pleaded with the secretary named Nathalie for refuge and Gabriel Agreste, oddly out of character, was happy to accommodate the students in return for Chat Noir and myself finding someone I didn't realise wasn't there – Adrien. My heart sunk and I felt pained that I hadn't realised we had lost him.

Chat Noir had suggested splitting up to find the model, but I refused. The numbers of undead were only increasing and it wouldn't be too long until the city would be swamped by them.

It was tough dodging those out to kill us whilst searching for the green eyed angel especially at the school. We didn't want to hurt these aggressive, unthinking people but it wasn't long until one was close to biting me that the kitty had to use force with a claw to the face. It was in order to save me so we could save others. In my eyes, it was completely justifiable.

Chat Noir had spotted something and he took no time in sprinting off in one direction towards whatever he had spotted. I couldn't keep track of him and…

I lost him. I lost my partner.

Wherever he is now, I just hope he's safe and not one of them.

A few moments later, his loss was only met with the discovery of the baby faced blond angel. That cheered my spirits slightly despite the new hole in my heart.

He gripped onto me and I used my yoyo to take him back to his house with little chance for these undead to harm us. He asked about Chat Noir on our journey and I had nothing to say as a tear fell from my eyes which I hid from him.

His father was pleased to see his son and allowed the students to stay. Although it was very unlike Adrien's father to actually care, no one questioned it. One thing Mr. Agreste was adamant on was refusing me entry to this temporary safe haven. You could see the students were about to protest but… all were too scared to say anything. He was in control of their safety now. I nodded, understanding his wishes and went on my way.

That is to say, I went home to see if my parents were there. They weren't. But they had left a note that read:

'Dear Marinette,

The city's Mayor has urged all citizens who can to go to the nearest evacuation centre. We're heading there now. Whatever we're being evacuated from, it hasn't reached this side of the city yet.

Please call us when you're safe.

We love you.

Mama and Papa'

And that is when I headed back to the Agreste building, searching on my way there, in civilian form, moving as agile as I could. If Adrien had gotten lost beforehand, who wasn't to say that other children were lost too. By the time I had found a few, I… I just couldn't get to them in time. I was forced to watch as these children were torn limb from limb by these unforgiving, soulless beings, blood splattering the walls and screams only calling for more of them to come.

That was when I knew that they were no longer people or humans. They were demons on earth.

Abandoning my temporary mission, I moved to focus on my main mission: get to safety. On my journey to safety, I had tripped once or twice, causing a few scratches on my arms and knees and one on my cheek. With thankfully few encounters of these demons, I was able to sprint to my goal.

By now it was afternoon and I was tired, exhausted and emotionally unstable. Thankfully I was permitted safety into this non-official safe haven and once I had a moment to breathe after informing my parents of my safety, I sat down, my chest tightened and sobbed.

I sobbed for the lost students, the loss of the life we knew and I sobbed for my lost partner. That was when Alya came over to me. She hugged me, hushed me and rocked me as I sobbed like a baby into her loving embrace as she calmed me down.

I'm sure other students were sobbing too.

Today wasn't nice.

I'm not looking forward to tomorrow.

Marinette.

Thank you Rose for your sacrifice.


	2. Day Two

Day Two

I got little sleep last night.

Gabriel Agreste insisted that females slept in the left side of the house, in the lounge, and males in the right, in the dining room. We had to oblige and we were happy to do so – we were kindly rewarded with protection with our compliance. That was surely worth it.

We were fortunate in that Mr Agreste also had plenty of blankets to spare so we could all sleep in comfort. A few times Adrien had attempted to offer his room to some of his peers but his father wouldn't allow it. That was the end of that discussion.

After my moment of weakness in front of Alya and a small meal shared between everyone, I quickly settled down to sleep, nestling myself between Alya and a corner, falling asleep in my best friend's embrace.

I'm sure me drifting off in her arms eased her mind away from her missing siblings and gave her some kind of comfort. I wish there was some way I could help relieve her worries.

Every hour or so in my slumber, I woke up weeping as my brain forced me to relive the traumatic events of those innocent spirits and their abrupt ends... I could have saved them.

I regret transforming out of Ladybug back at the bakery. I could have saved them. I would have been faster, stronger, better. I could have saved them. I wouldn't have had to hear their screams that are imprinted into my brain, replaying themselves like a broken record in my mind. I could have saved them. I could have seen their crying smiles when they would have seen me, as Ladybug, saving them and comforting them, bringing them to safety. I could have saved them.

And yet I didn't. I didn't save them. I couldn't. I'm too weak as Marinette. I'm not fast enough as _me_. I'm not strong enough as _me_.

I'm nothing helpful unless I'm Ladybug, I now realise.

This thought only caused me to weep more, my entire existence feeling pointless, leaving me doubting whether all I had done was worth it. What if Chat Noir and myself had given up our Miraculouses? Could Hawkmoth's powers have stopped this apocalypse in any way?

My thoughts had only added to my sobs which started to stir some of my fellow peers from their sleep. It was then I forced myself to hush and excused myself to go to one of the many bathrooms within the mansion to sob further… That is, if I found one. I hadn't paid attention to when Mr. Agreste was giving us directions to the bathrooms in the vicinity and I ended up lost and confused whilst wondering around the grand house, walking up and down endless stairs.

I remember wondering around in the darkness of the spacious house, my throat felt tight, my teeth clenched and my heart hurting. Whether for the children, my now pointless existence or for the grief of my partner, I didn't know. I still don't.

With tears threatening to spill over my eyes, I had opened a door, unsure if it lead to a room, a closet or a bathroom and I had shut the door and began to sob as my knees hit the floor. I'm sure if I had ended up in Gabriel's room, I would have been back out there in that… war zone within seconds.

I allowed myself to grieve for my pain, wailing out into the room, eyes flooded with tears as I hunched over on the floor holding myself, quivering.

Little did I know I had woken the one who had my heart, I didn't even know he was there until I felt a hand gently on my back and another in my hand, guiding me to stand up, taking me into his strong grasp.

Holding on to his lean body tightly, he caressed my hair and back. I heard a small hushing sound coming from his lips and soon, I felt calmer although my head was spinning.

You should have seen my face when I saw it was Adrien. I was a mess and there he was willingly comforting me. We sat on his bed and he catered to me until I felt ready to speak. He wanted to know why I was so upset, whether my family was okay or if something had happened to me out there. I couldn't say anything related to Chat Noir so I said the thing that was haunting my mind most.

Adrien was nothing but sympathetic. I even saw the wavier in expression as I told him about how I felt useless and how I had lost a close friend he didn't know of. I left out how I was nothing unless I was Ladybug. It was probably for the best for the world to assume Ladybug was dead. Although the idea of that currently makes me feel weak inside.

We were talking for a good hour or so and he was happy to stay up and listen until I felt better. I was grateful for that. Once I felt more at ease, I apologised for disturbing him and went back to my own makeshift bed downstairs with all the girls, getting a more sound slumber.

The morning soon came and I didn't move an inch. Neither did a few other students who were grieving for their friends and family.

Alya encouraged me to eat but I could only handle so little and refused, insisting she had it instead.

After some contemplation, I figured I was no longer a child. I've been forced into adulthood now and it wasn't pretty.

Eventually I got up, assisting in chores and playing unused board games with Nathaniel, Sabrina, Chloe, Nino and a few others until Chloe started accusing others of cheating. It was as if nothing had changed with her. As if the world totally hadn't ended.

Sometimes I wish I could be as self-absorbed as Chloe so I wouldn't have to punish myself for what I can and can't do or torture myself with what could have been.

I attempted to avoid Adrien as much as possible due to the embarrassment of rudely waking him up like that earlier and sobbing so grossly on him too. Only, in a compact area, it's not long until you've ran out of places to hide until you have to stop running away from someone.

We spoke more, I apologised, he checked up on me and me on him. We played a different board game with Alya and Nino and then sooner or later it was time to eat, do chores, shower and sleep.

I guess I could get used to this new routine but it won't last and I knew that well. I better enjoy it whilst I can.

The scales would soon tip and I dreaded for that moment to come.

Marinette.


	3. Day Three

Day Three

Today was different. And by different I mean completely the same as the past few days but different in the sense new challenges have been faced. Ones I didn't want to face.

Rather than waking up how we did yesterday (which was mostly by friends comforting other friends), we awoke to a loud scream outside of the Agreste home and a plea for help.

A few of us that were near the gates at the time had gathered around the iron bars to watch an exhausted, sobbing woman and her three children seek refuge behind the gates.

She cried out her story with how her partner had fell victim to the vicious, rotting corpses and how she had managed to escape with no more than a scratch.

Reflecting on it, I was foolish to believe it was just a scratch.

From a few feet away, it was hard to tell this woman was a danger. She was a mother with kids, of course we were to assume she wasn't a danger to us.

She looked vulnerable.

She _was_ vulnerable.

After my peers and I caused a small commotion, Mr Agreste came to the gates and simply sneered down at the mother. For a moment, I believe I caught a glint of satisfaction in his eyes as the woman became more frantic with her pleas as he only shook his head and walked away.

At this, the woman wailed louder, attracting the attention from those freaks of nature.

The kids and lady were all in danger at this point. I couldn't stand for it. I couldn't believe that Gabriel Agreste, the best designer in the fashion industry, a father, a care giver, would almost happily deny a desperate woman help. And as such, I… I had to take action.

I found a closed off space in the mansion grounds and transformed into Ladybug.

I _had_ to save them. It was my duty to. I couldn't let another innocent child be _corrupted_.

With little to no thought, I used my yoyo to get on a neighbouring rooftop. I wrapped my tool around a lamppost and swung down, I had to protect these kids. I had to save this woman.

As I swung down, wind flowing through my hair, the children were cheering my name in joy as the growling undead started closing in on them. My peers were cheering too and were clearly glad to see me alive.

This made me feel… Good. Almost. If it weren't for something major missing.

One by one with each swing from the lamppost to the rooftop, I placed a child safely on the tiles. By the time I went to reach for the last child, the mother suddenly snarled, her eyes lifeless and thirsty for blood. She grabbed my foot and in panic I screamed as she went to bite. With as much force as I could muster from my muscles that were starting to scream from the weight of the child, I kicked the mother away and swung back onto the rooftops the child's siblings were on.

Thankfully the children appeared okay and my leg was unscathed. Of course they were upset about losing their mother but they knew they had to be strong for now. I told the trio to stay on the roof whilst I sorted out something for them with Gabriel Agreste and as such, I hopped back onto the grounds of the Agreste house, my peers gathering around me exclaiming how glad they are to see I'm alive.

I would have loved to take in the moment but I had a mission.

I confronted Gabriel Agreste about his lack of compassion for the mother and children; all he muttered was "Look at how she turned out."

I couldn't help but get mad at him. How dare this man decide to deny people refuge without any proof they were innocent? I yelled at him, of course. It wasn't right of him to suspect everyone as being guilty and let innocents suffer out in this new, cold, harsh world. His only response was a sharp clap to my face.

It stung.

It caught me off guard and he told me to grow up, leave and to not bother saving anyone else. I wanted to argue back but… Upon reflection, he was only keeping my peers and maybe even myself safe.

I left the grounds and went back up to the siblings and… It seems like they weren't exactly clean either. I gasped in shock and I remember taking a few steps back towards the edge of the roof.

The once cheerful children were now murderous, unthinking beings hungry for human flesh. Their skin was pale and just as I realised what they had become, it was too late. They reached out and grabbed me, pinning me down to the roof top, ready to deliver a deadly bite or three.

I froze.

I remember trying to think of a way out. I remember deciding to give up. But more importantly I remember thinking of my Mama, my Papa, Alya, Adrien, everyone. I couldn't let these bastards end me now. I had things to do, people to find, people to meet.

My journey wouldn't be over.

Not now.

 _Not yet._

But just as I built up the energy to fight back, the kids were kicked off from me with a powerful swing of a shiny, black, spandex coated leg.

I gasped, my eyes travelling up to the owner of the leg's face.

That was when blue eyes met bright, green ones.

I was tearing up at the sight of him, alive and unscathed.

Before we could say anything, one of those _things_ in child form climbed onto my back, reminding me of what we were doing up there as it tried to pull me off of the roof. It was something I could handle in my sleep and with a few grunts of pain and three thuds on the streets of Paris later, it was just Chat Noir and myself on the roof, our peers on looking.

There was so much I had to say and I could tell he had things he wanted to say too but we didn't have enough time nor the privacy. We both knew that.

Just as I was about to run off, I was pulled into a tight embrace. I paused for a moment before relaxing against him, holding him close and taking in a deep breath of his honey scent.

I felt calm in his arms. I felt safe. It was as if nothing could hurt me. But just as I started to get comfortable, he pulled away and placed a small note in my hand.

He gave me wink and pounced away leaving me there on the rooftop.

I waved to my peers inside the gates of the Agreste mansion goodbye before swinging off in a different direction. After a block or two around the area, I returned to the house and detransformed, note still in my hand:

' _My Lady,_

 _I'm thankful you're alive. You must be a goddess for lasting that long. Maybe it's time for a name upgrade, hm?_

 _I need to tell you something important. Please come to the Agreste mansion, head up the first flight of stairs and the second door to the left. Meet me there at 11pm. Be quiet. Students are sleeping on the first floor. Mr Agreste won't find you, I promise, bugaboo._

 _Be safe out there, My Lady._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Chat'_

So… I'm writing this journal entry now before I go. I wonder what useful information he has to tell me.

I guess I'll have to find out.

Marinette.

AN: I'm so sorry! I had to take a break from this fanfic for a while as I kept crying with every chapter I wrote – it was too emotionally taxing on me and I'm so sorry. Zombie AUs really get to me – especially with what I have planned for the future.

You guys want more? You'll definitely get more! I'm so sorry it's taken a while with this update but thank you so much for sticking by me!

I do want you guys to know I haven't abandoned this fic! Chapter Four is on it's way soon!


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